By Sekyen Dadik
Kaduna (Nigeria) — In spite of efforts by government and stakeholders to reduce maternal mortality in Kaduna, the ratio still remains disturbing as the state loses about 150 women monthly, that is five (5) women every day from pregnancy related complications.
To reduce this burden to the barest minimum, traditional and religious leaders must recognize their role as community influencers and ensure they educate and enlighten their followers to adhere to practices that promote maternal and child health care.
This was the position of Nigeria Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI), an NGO and FHANI/ISSA an advocacy core group, at the just concluded roundtable meeting to sensitize traditional and religious leaders on child birth spacing to reduce maternal mortality.
State Team Lead of NURHI, Malam Kabir Abdullahi noted that such meetings “were not out for a decline in population, but to promote the health of women and children in Kaduna state.”
He added that “there cannot be meaningful development when a larger part of the society is holding unto particular patterns of behavior that are of great risk to health and development.
Hence, Kabir said the meeting was aimed at promoting attitudinal change amongst the traditional and religious circle.
In His presentation, Deputy Director of Public Health, Kaduna state Ministry of Health and Human Services, Malam Abubakar Lawal identified socio-cultural and economic factors as major causes of maternal mortality.
According to him, “low status of women, poverty, poor nutrition, ignorance and illiteracy, religious beliefs and harmful traditional practices” were some of the challenges facing childbirth spacing and maternal health in the state.
He therefore tasked traditional and religious leaders to use the opportunity they have to reach out to their communities on the need for child spacing and its benefit for maternal health.
Lawal called on the leaders to sensitize their followers on the need to promote girl child education as a long term panacea for maternal health issues, emphasising regular antenatal care visits and support from husbands as immediate solution.
He stressed that maternal mortality rate can be reduced by 40 per cent if birth is spaced for at least two years.
Participants who were drawn from the traditional and religious sphere from different parts of the state unanimously agreed to contribute their quota in reducing maternal deaths by sensitizing their followers on child spacing.
The highlight of the discussion was the signing of the Pledges-Signature Board by all the participants as a sign of their commitment to the cause.
